Unholy Union
by Spellspinner Vincent Valentine
Summary: Post DoC half a year after the events of DoC letters arrive announcing Yuffie's engagement and somepeople aren't taking it well. Sequel to Dark Desire you don't have to read it to understand Unholy Union. Dark Desire will not be posted due to rating.
1. Invitation

**Unholy Union**

**By**: Spellspinner Vincent Valentine

**Rating**: M

**Paring**: Vincent Valentine/ Yuffie Kisaragi

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Vincent and Yuffie belong to Squaresoft, now known as SquareEnix, (They should have stuck with Squaresoft…it had a nicer ring…) and to its individual character designers and whatnot. Trust me…if I were rich as hell…I'd buy Vincent and Yuffie. But since I'm poor…I'm just going to take the characters for a serious joyride. Other Final Fantasy VII characters, Advent Children Characters, and Dirge of Cerberus characters will be mentioned in this fic.

**FYI: **I abuse flashbacks…Flashbacks will be indicated such as –Half a year ago- I also hop locations occasionally. When I change locations or use flashbacks I break them off with -:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-

**Warnings**: 1: This story is a lemon…it will eventually be posted on until then it remains edited because I have no desire to get in trouble with 2: Minor Cloud/Tifa… If you are really gung-ho Aerith/Cloud….sorry hate to be the one to break this to you….but…She's dead and so is her boyfriend. Let them enjoy death together instead of trying to turn Cloud into necrophiliac. 3: No flames on my pairing. I have a great counter flamer and she will not play nice. 4: Minor spoilers nothing too serious and of course some serious artistic liberties as to how Vincent survived…because no one is really sure…

**AN**: This story occurs after the events of Dirge of Cerberus. Yuffie's father, Godo Kisaragi, has arranged for her to be married to a young man in the village. Invitations have been sent out and Vincent is stunned. Portions are flashbacks as this story is a sequel to Dark Desire. If you haven't read that I suggest you do and if you don't you'll just have to let your imagination run wild. You MIGHT have to request it from me via email. Dark Desire is a lemon and the prequel to most of what happens in this story. All the lemony scenes I cut out were flashbacks to Dark Desire. Some edited flashbacks remain.

This story will likely update slowly. Silent Angel takes precedence for me and I kinda have writers block with this fic.

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Chapter 1

**Invitation**

_It was only natural that she should be married._ Godo Kisaragi thought pacing around his manor home in Wutai. Yuffie was nineteen, she would be twenty in a few months, and was already well past the average age of marriage in Wutai. As his only child and heir, Yuffie had a prominent role in the future of Wutai; all she needed now was a husband. She would need a good strong man to help her lead Wutai, perhaps the son of the weapon maker? Hayate was old enough to marry; he was a hard worker, a wonderful ninja, and easily one of the strongest young men in the town. He would have a talk with Hayate's father the next day. They would need to discuss their children's future.

Yuffie Kisaragi, completely unaware of her father's thoughts, sat on the roof of her home in Wutai. She stared out at the dark sea and at the night sky that met the waters at the horizon. The thousands of stars of the night sky finally drew her attention from the waters. In the dark she felt calm and at ease. She was after all the best ninja in Wutai, and darkness was the ninja's best friend! That, however, was not why the darkness comforted her so. Rather, it was something she associated with one Vincent Valentine. The man who had captured her heart so suddenly...Yuffie smiled as she recalled the day she had fallen in love with him.

There were only two days left before Meteor would fall. They had been navigating the Northern Crater for over half a day. Tifa, Cloud, and Cid had gone one way. Vincent, RedXIII, and herself had gone another way. Barret and Cait Sith were told to explore the side caverns. She was frightened and she wasn't afraid to admit it. Through the entire ordeal, Vincent had been a calming presence. When she was trembling with fear as the crater shook violently, it was Vincent who steadied her and proceeded to shield her from a few falling rocks. He had gotten hurt, not badly, but she fussed over him every minute. Until that moment he had only seemed cold to her, until he protected her, she never really saw who he might really be beneath the dark hair and piercing eyes. It was like a revelation. He cared about what happened to her, or he wouldn't have protected her. Perhaps it was just the terrifying experience of being in the dark crater, or the thought that if they lost to Sephiroth, it would be not only the end for them, but for the world too, but something about that day just made it all clear to her.

"I gotta get my mind off him!!!" Yuffie muttered falling back against the slate roof. She had been thinking about him more than usual, MUCH more than usual…and since the night half a year ago in Kalm…in a different way than usual. She could still feel his lips moving against her skin, his hands moving slowly over her body. She shuddered involuntarily as the searing memory played over in her mind. She had never expected him to react in such a way….never had she imagined an accidental kiss would have the two of them pulling each other's clothes off as quickly as possible. She never imagined that a simple brush of the lips could ignite the fire it sparked that night. She slowly lifted her hand to her neck and sighed softly. She would give anything…anything at all to feel his lips against her neck again…to feel his body against her own…

She sat back up and stared longingly at the horizon. "Vincent…" his name came unbidden to her lips. _Stop thinking about him!!_ She told herself over and over and over. Half a year had passed since she saw him and now more than ever she needed to focus on Wutai, even if Vincent could have very well been the love of her life, Wutai's recovery had to come first. A single star fell from the heavens. A terrible omen in Wutai, especially since the last star anyone saw fall was exactly one year before Sephiroth reappeared and summoned Meteor. She could only imagine what kind of pandemonium would ensue this time. "Maybe this time it will be fun…" she muttered slowly climbing off the roof. "Maybe someone will summon me a life."

She looked back at the sky before heading into her home. Memories of what happened a half year before rudely invaded her mind…when Cloud said he had found the Cerberus Relief on a chain hanging from wreckage she broke down in Tifa's arms. Shelke too had been unsure if Vincent could possibly be alive.

-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-

-Half a year ago-

"You really care about him…don't you Yuffie?" Shelke had said quietly looking at the Cerberus emblem Yuffie had been holding to her chest.

"…Heh…haha…haha!! Wow….it…it's really pathetic…" Yuffie had said laughing weakly between the tears she had been trying to hold back after her breakdown. "You noticed….and…and that idiot didn't!!" Yuffie laughed again as tears slowly ran down her cheeks. "And you have to be even more emotionally challenged than Vincent!!!"

"Yuffie…" Tifa had tried to be a comforting presence…and she was…definitely. She knew what it was like to have possibly lost the love of one's life.

"He could be around here…unconscious…he used so much power during his transformation to take down Omega Weapon…I'll start looking…" Cloud had said looking around. He was a great guy Cloud...Barret joined the search a day later. Reeve along with Cait Sith and the WRO soon joined the search afterward…

"Don't get your hopes up Yuffie…" Shelke had said with an empty voice. "…Vincent was strong…but I don't know if anything could survive after doing what he did…and with the power of Chaos…"

"JUST SHUT UP!!!!" She had yelled so loudly her voice was hoarse for days…"HE CAN'T BE GONE!!! HE CAN'T BE!!!!" She had narrowed her eyes at Shelke. "You watch!!! He's alive!!! He's alive he has to be!!! You hear me Vincent!? You damn well better be alive or I'm going to drag you back from hell! You got that pal!?!?"

"What a shame," Shelke would say in later days, "that he did not return your obvious affections." Yuffie had never been more annoyed with Shelke. When Shalua died, she was annoyed…oh so annoyed she struck the girl across the face and yelled at her. But the day Shelke said that…Yuffie had wanted to kill the girl on the spot. "You know perfectly well he loved…and still loves Dr. Lucrecia Crescent… dead or not…you wouldn't stand a chance against-" Yuffie had swiftly struck the girl yet again.

"You really know how to piss someone off don't you!? You think I don't know I wouldn't stand a chance against her!? I know he loved her!!!" Yuffie had turned to storm out of Seventh Heaven. She glared at Shelke over her shoulder before leaving. "But you know what? If it had been me…and I had to choose between Hojo and Vincent…I wouldn't have given it a second thought…I would have chosen Vincent…**I** wouldn't have hurt him the way she did!"

She recalled quite happily that for days…Shelke was silent…She had been sending messages to Vincent's phone, reasoning that if he were alive; he would want to know how things were going. Cloud's search with Barret, Reeve, and Cait Sith for almost an entire week and even news of Yuffie's reaction to his "death/disappearance" had been sent to Vincent's phone by Shelke. A half year ago…Yuffie had seen the messages regarding her reactions…her exact words in the messages sent to Vincent. Messages Vincent never deleted. She still remembered how he had looked at her after showing her the messages.

"…You said…would have chosen me Yuffie? Why?"

"…You mean to tell me if you were a girl…you would have chosen Hojo over you?????" Yuffie had struggled to keep herself as cheerful and casual as always.

"….Yuffie…answer me honestly. Why would you have chosen me?"

"Uh…Because…because I…I." She had said so quietly her voice was barely above a whisper. She hadn't realized how close he was standing and as soon as she looked up to tell him what was on her mind, their lips met. Vincent had stared at her with wide eyes and her eyes mirrored his. Wide, shocked, surprised…pleasantly surprised… "…oh gawd…I'm sorry Vincent. I uh, didn't know you were right there and…"

"…Don't apologize…" He turned away to look out the window of the house he was residing in. Kalm was back to normal. The WRO took a mere three weeks to fix Kalm right up. "…especially since you aren't really sorry…."

"Huh?"

"…You aren't are you? I'm not at all upset by it if you aren't…." He looked over his shoulder at her. She knew that he could see right through her.

"I…I'm not really-I-I mean! Uh…Vincent I…" She recalled crossing her arms and thinking for a good ten minutes before she noticed he was…smiling. "Eh…Vince?? You alright…you're…smiling…"

"I'm fine…" He had turned and stepped toward her. Instinctively she backed up until she was against the wall and he…he stepped forward until they were only centimeter's apart. "…But Yuffie…there is something I think I should tell you…"

She dared not even breathe for a few moments. Something to tell her? She remembered how she had been almost trembling in anticipation. What did he have to say? "Y…yes?"

"Yuffie…you've been with me through some of the toughest times. You were there when I needed you at the Mako Cannon, you got me out of Nibelheim, you followed me into Deepground…even though it could have gotten you killed, and you were worried…when I didn't come back quickly. Out of everyone, I think I am closer to you than anyone else…"

"…Closer to…me? What about Cid? You guys….are really close…"

"Because we're both old men…and that hardly counts…"

"Old m- oh yeah….You only look thirty at the most…but you're the oldest one of us…aren't you?"

"Yes…I am." He looked away for a second before returning his powerful gaze to her. "Yuffie…you've never treated me any differently though, and I've found…sometimes…I almost forget about the past when I'm with you."

"…R-really?" She had been blushing. Blushing so furiously she could have sworn she was radiating light.

"You make me smile, and I could have sworn I had forgotten how to smile. You make me want to laugh when I was certain I wasn't capable of it anymore. When Rosso attacked me…" He slipped his hand under his cloak and pulled out a medallion with a summon materia imbedded in it. "You slipped this into my cloak…the Phoenix materia…didn't you?"

"I!!! Uh….yeah…yeah I did……" She had lowered her voice and looked down. "I just didn't want anything to happen to you…I didn't want you to die…if things got worse…" She had looked up at him stubbornly. "I told you I had a bad feeling before Meteorfall!!! But no you wouldn't listen to me and you ran up to the damn cannon!! I knew you would pull some crazy as hell reckless stunt again! I couldn't very well take the chance that this time it FINALLY killed you!"

"I'm sorry I had you that worried…but…Yuffie…"

"You have no idea how crazy we all went searching for your ass!!! Damnit Vincent for a few days we really thought-"

"Yuffie."

"What!?"

"…The materia…saved my life."

"I don't care that-huh…it…did? But…but Shelke said that Dr. Crescent's experiment with Chaos is what saved you…"

"After Hojo shot me…yes…but this time when I collapsed after finishing off Omega…this…" he said holding the materia and looking it over slowly before lifting his gaze to Yuffie's. "…is what saved me…you were the one who saved me this time Yuffie…I owe you my life."

She had never been so silent. Her voice was caught in her throat and she had struggled to breathe for a few seconds. He was…so close. That was when she had noticed his hand gently lifting her chin and a second later he kissed her, quite passionately too. For a moment Yuffie had been unsure of what had come over him. It wasn't like him. No…not like him at all. Vincent was so calm and cool and collected and…_one hell of a good kisser_…but that was totally beside the point! He was kissing her!! Her!!!

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Yuffie shook her head quickly to bring herself back to reality. She really loved him…and she really wanted to see him again. She wondered, as she looked one last time at the night sky before shutting her window and settling into bed, if Vincent still thought about what happened that night…if he still…thought about her. She knew he was busy. He was the one and only defense of Kalm now. If monsters attacked Kalm, Vincent was there to defend it. She buried her face in her pillow and pulled the blankets over her head. "I gotta get these stupid girly notions of him rescuing me again completely out of my head."

**-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-**

In Kalm, Vincent Valentine sat staring out at the night sky. He rarely slept and he knew he wouldn't sleep this night. A star had fallen. It was a bad omen world wide. Perhaps this time…it would be nothing. He glanced at Cerberus on the bedside table. "This time…we're staying out of it…completely…" He muttered looking back outside. "We've been dragged into enough over the past three years wouldn't you agree Cerberus?"

A few weeks before, he had received mail from Shelke. Tifa and Cloud were getting married. _Finally_…Vincent thought when he read the mail. Along with her letter was a letter from Tifa. Cid and Shera were expecting their first child. Vincent wasn't surprised then when he had received mail from Cid. He wanted to have a drink. Reminisce. The entire time Vincent had listened intently as Cid went over a long, long, very, very long list of baby names.

"What'cha think? Cid II? Or Cid Jr.? Or maybe somethin'…different…maybe just Cid??"

The long list consisted in some way, shape, or form of names with Cid in them. "You sound pretty sure it's going to be a boy."

"Hell yeah I'm sure it's gonna be a boy! What else would it be?" Cid had said taking another shot.

"…Oh I don't know…a girl maybe…" Vincent muttered sarcastically lifting his glass slowly.

"Psh! Yeah a girl! Ha! It'll be a boy! I'll bet ya two thousand gil on it!"

"I'll bet you fifty thousand it's a girl…." Vincent had replied calmly. He could tell when he looked at Shera.

"You got yerself a damn deal! Heh…I'm gonna make me a killing here."

"You just keep telling yourself that…and start saving your money…" Vincent said with an almost all knowing smirk. "Because it's a girl…"

"Ain't no way in hell! I'm telling ya Vincent. It's a boy. I can already see trainin' the boy to be the best damn pilot in the world…well second to me of course."

Vincent looked at the only picture beside his bed. It was a picture of all of them, taken at Reeve's insistence. Tifa, Cloud, Barret, and Marlene were all to the left…Tifa was smiling quite happily with her arm around Cloud. Marlene was hugging Barret who was laughing. Nanaki sat, with Cait Sith on his head, next to Reeve. Shelke sat on the ground next to them. Cid was sitting on a rock above them all near his beloved airship. Vincent himself, stood next to the rock and he noticed then that he really did seem to give then impression of being cold…Was it Cloud who had told him he seemed cold? He shook his head slightly and looked at the cheerful girl hugging him and grinning ear to ear in the picture. Yuffie…_the clever girl_…she had saved his life the week before the picture was taken. She saved him a few times…when he thought about it. Yuffie had insisted he keep the phoenix medallion with the Phoenix Materia imbedded in it. When she did so he insisted she keep the Cerberus Relief that Cloud found in Midgar when he disappeared. "Keep it with you…" He had said. "And if you ever need me…just call. I'll be there."

He glanced at his phone. _She must be doing well_…he thought. He hadn't heard from her since that night half a year ago when…He looked around the room. Had it been a half year really?

-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-

-Half a year ago-

Shelke told him how worried Yuffie had been about him. She told him he really should talk to her...oh and of course…"Lucrecia wants you to be happy Vincent…she knows…that Yuffie makes you happy…why don't you just tell Yuffie?"

"…I can't…"

"Why not?" Shelke said slowly wiping the bar so Tifa would have less to do when she got back from shopping.

"Because…I…"

"Still love Lucrecia? Vincent…she's not even herself anymore. The body trapped in crystal is kept young and alive by Jenova…Lucrecia has been dead for a long time. She wants you to move on. She told me to tell you this…I guess now is a good time to say it. Lucrecia said…'Vincent…even I would consider you very immature if you let the past keep you from a future'…"

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_Well…I told her_…Vincent thought looking back out the window. _And I haven't heard from her since that night…perhaps…things went a bit too far…but…_ "For the first time in so long…I was content…to wake up…happy to be breathing that day…" He looked back at the picture. Avenging Lucrecia had been his reason for life before and it turned into a fight to save the planet from her son. _Twice actually_…he thought. Sephiroth had threatened life on the planet twice. Hojo had threatened it this past time…Hojo, Deepground, Shinra, Omega…and he himself had threatened the very existence of the world. _Good thing what power I had came through for the planet in the long run._

After telling Yuffie how much what she had done for him had meant to him…after even admitting that he…cared deeply for her…after that night…she had become a new reason to live. "I didn't let the past keep me from a future…the present is doing a good enough job…" He muttered laying back down on the bed.

The words Shelke had said crept back into his mind. 'Even I would consider you very immature if you let the past keep you from a future.' Tifa had said the same thing when she heard that he hadn't heard from Yuffie or contacted her since the day half a year ago. Perhaps he was being a coward or even immature about it all…but she hadn't called for him. Maybe she didn't need him. He sighed and stared at the ceiling. "Yuffie….It's been a while…" He glanced again at his phone. "So…how have you been?" It wouldn't be hard to simply call and ask how she was doing would it? He pulled off the cloak he wore and hung it on the bed post. He stood, removed his clothes, and set them on the chair in the corner before lying back down in bed. He sighed and shut his eyes. Yuffie…if she only knew how much he missed her…

He dreamt of her, as he did so often now. Vincent had been completely surprised by his sudden attraction to Yuffie. It happened close to Meteorfall. She had remained with him in Midgar…and if she hadn't he might have died that day. He owed her his life...

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Again he was there…on the Mako Cannon. Hojo had vanished in the flash of lightning, the explosion knocked loose some of the cannon's components. Yuffie had called out to him and he jumped. His timing was perfect. He landed on the back of the hover and Yuffie collapsed against it, allowing him to take control of the vehicle.

"I thought I told you to evacuate…." Vincent said directing the hover toward Midgar's outer boarders.

"And I thought I told you not to go up there…." She slowly sat back and leaned against his chest. "You should have listened to me Vincent!!" She yelled over the howling winds. "I mean do you have any idea how dangerous that was??"

"…I do..."

"What if you had gotten hurt up there and I hadn't followed you huh?? You'd be injured and stuck up there…and Meteor would fall and you'd be dead…squashed, incinerated, I don't care how resilient you are. Meteor is going to kill whatever it hits."

"That's why I wanted you to get out of here…"

"Huh?" Yuffie looked over her shoulder at Vincent. "You mean to tell me YOU were worried about me?"

"…..Perhaps…."

"Oh come on Vince!! Were you really that worried about me???" He couldn't help but notice her excited squeal.

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"

Yuffie smiled. "Yeah…as soon as you admit you were worried about me!"

The girl…drove a hard bargain. "I was worried about you Yuffie…I didn't want you to get hurt and I knew something could go wrong…" _Better me…than you._ His thoughts were the words he left out. How foolish he would have sounded if he had said it. Telling the young ninja if it came down to his life or hers he would rather be the one to die. No…if he ever blurted all that out he might as well ask her to marry him.

"…Wow….I didn't really think you cared…" She smiled slightly. "Good to know…well now that I saved your life…how about if I'm ever in a sticky spot like that…eh…you save me. Then we'll call it even."

"…Sure…" After landing they rejoined the others on the Highwind and got as far away from Midgar as possible. Yuffie stood beside Vincent on the deck staring up at the ever darkening sky. Only a few hours left Cid said…

"Hey…Vincent?" Yuffie said staring up at the terrifying glow of Meteor high above the planet.

He glanced at her. "What is it Yuffie?"

"Isn't Holy supposed to be stopping all this?? Where is it? I mean…we beat Sephiroth…"

"It will appear when it is necessary…I think."

"Whadda'ya mean you THINK!?"

"I'm not really certain how it works. That's what I mean. Is Holy supposed to shield the entire planet, or just the impact site? Bugenhagen said that Holy will rid the planet of whatever it deems unnecessary…or destructive. Midgar isn't going to be a pretty sight whether Meteor destroys it or Holy…but it really makes you wonder…what if the planet decides WE have to go too?"

"Vincent!! Stop talking all apocalyptic-like! It's so not cool!" She moved closer to him. "…Well…I guess if the planet decides we do have to go…" He looked at her intently. "There's really no place I'd rather be."

He tilted his head. "You'd rather be here with us…than home with your father and people?"

"…Yeah…" She said looking up at Meteor defiantly. "I'd rather be here…with you and everyone else…I'd rather die here with the people I fought alongside." She smiled slightly at him. "Where would you want to be if you knew for sure this was really the end?"

He looked at her for a few moments before answering. "Right here." He looked back at the sky. "You've really got guts Yuffie…" He said lightly smacking her hand away from his pocket. "If you plan on stealing my materia…you must feel pretty confident this isn't the end."

"It better not be the end…" she said moving closer to him as the wind picked up greatly "…and who said I was going for the materia?" she muttered quietly so Vincent wouldn't hear. Vincent pulled his cloak around her to shield her from the dust flying through the air. She looked at him again. "Like I said…it better not be the end…Because when all this is over I want to buy everyone a drink at the Turtles Paradise. And have some sort of party in Wutai. You'll be there too right? I mean because after that it's going to be some serious recovery work…and the world is gonna look to all of us, I just know they will."

"Yeah…if we make it through all this…I'll be there." He pulled her inside gently as the wind grew stronger. "…this won't be the end Yuffie…"

"Good…" she muttered under her breath. "No way in hell am I dying a virgin…I've got a whole life ahead of me! I want kids, and a great guy, and my dads place in Wutai and maybe another house…maybe Cloud could rent his place in Costa del Sol to me….or oh I know!!! Kalm is a nice town…or Edge? Hm I wonder….maybe I could move out near Healin…"

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Yuffie's voice faded as Vincent slowly opened his eyes when the faint sunlight entered the room. Sitting up he glanced outside. The sun would be completely up in about ten minutes…

"Hello Vincent!" A black and white cat sitting at the edge of his bed said startling him completely.

Cerberus was loaded and aimed before he realized who it was. "What the hell are…..Cait Sith??" He rubbed his head slightly and set Cerberus down. "You're gonna get yourself killed one of these days, sneaking up on people like that."

"Aye…maybe…but ya gotta remember…There's plenty more o' me where this one came from." The cat tilted his head slightly. It was a good thing Vincent wasn't known to be trigger happy.

"…Right. How could I possibly forget that?" Vincent muttered looking at the cat. "So…why are you here? If it's work for the WRO…I've let you drag me through enough insanity Reeve…I need a break…"

"Actually it's nuthin' o' the sort. All o' us received letters from Wutai. Reeve just sent me to deliver 'em"

"Letters…from Wutai?" This was the first anyone had heard from Yuffie in months…

"Thas' right. Here ya go Vincent!" Cait Sith held out a wax sealed letter. The emblem stamped into the wax that of the water dragon Leviathan and the Phoenix.

Vincent took it slowly and looked it over. Something was wrong about it…it was…too official to be from Yuffie. "Cait Sith…are these letters from Yuffie?"

"I assume…but they certainly look awfully official to be from Yuffie."

"You're right…" Vincent said slowly opening the letter. He swiftly scanned the unnaturally perfect handwriting. It wasn't Yuffie's writing…unless she had improved significantly in half a year…

Vincent Valentine:

You are cordially invited to Wutai for the wedding of Yuffie Kisaragi and Hayate Tachiyura on the night of October the 16th at 6 PM…

Vincent's eyes widened as he continued to read. Yuffie…was….getting married? In only two weeks?

"Vincent? Ya alright there?"

Vincent looked slowly at Cait Sith. "Have you seen the letter yet?"

"Nope. I was just told to deliver the-"

"Open it now Reeve." Then after a few minutes of silence…

"Goodness!!! Married?! Yuffie??" The cat exclaimed jumping up and down waving its hands. "…what a shock….ah well…I gotta go deliver Cid's letter...good grief…" the cat said hoping off the bed and walking out the door. "What kinda man in his right mind would marry that lass?"

"Yuffie…" He muttered dropping the letter slowly to the floor. "Why?" He stared at the letter on the ground as he started to move slowly out of bed. _Why would she get married?_ Surely…she hadn't forgotten him…he felt his stomach twist into a knot. She couldn't have forgotten that night…the feel of their bodies moving against one another. The memory assaulted him in full force. He could see her as she had been that night, her warm body beneath him, the smell of her hair, the taste of her lips, the sound of her cries…

Yuffie would never know, but it was the darkest desire of his heart, to relive that night once again.

-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-

-Half a year ago-

Her lips brushed softly against his and they stared at each other with wide eyes…it was completely accidental Yuffie had looked up and he had been close…very close trying to hear her words. Their lips had met and Yuffie panicked. She apologized…but he told her not to. Their conversation was slow and he kept wrestling with the darkness inside him that desperately wanted to kiss Yuffie again. Their discussion went on…he confessed that she had saved his life with the materia she hid in his cloak…that with all the energy he spent in fighting Omega…he should have died. She was silent…so he lifted her chin gently and kissed her. His kiss became passionate and deep, after few moments of soft gentleness had failed to sate him. He slowly lowered his hands from her face to her hips and she whimpered softly when she felt his hands gently grip her hips and pull her toward him. He whispered her name softly against her lips before kissing her again.

Quite suddenly, Yuffie gripped his shoulders and pulled him closer to her. A slight smirk curved his lips as she pressed her body close to his. Vincent pushed her lightly to the bed and laid her down on it. He crawled slowly on top of her and broke the kiss. "Yuffie…" He whispered hungrily kissing her neck. "Do you want me to keep going? If not….tell me now…" _While I can still stop_…he thought watching her as she sat up and kissed him passionately. "Don't stop…" she whispered against his lips before laying back down again. Yuffie didn't seem to mind at all that her legs were spread, he was between them, and that he had just asked her if he could continue….

She reached up and began unbuckling the straps that held the cloak on. He realized he had never once been seen without it. When she finished unbuckling it he shrugged it off and kissed her again. He slowly slid his hands from her waist up until he felt for her tank tops. "Then…these are going to have to go." He murmured softly against her neck while pulling the tanks over her head.

After a few minutes she whimpered softly beneath him, "This is hardly fair ya know." She sat up slightly and pushed him back. "You see...If I'm gonna be laying here topless…it's only fair that you do too…" She grabbed her tanks, tossed them to the corner of the room, reached forward, and began working on removing his shirt. "The…hell?? Vincent how the hell do you get this off?????" She unzipped, unbuckled, and muttered in frustration while he watched her with a slight smirk. After minutes of her cursing under her breath he finally removed it himself.

"We'd be here for the next year and a half if I let you do it…" He said tossing his shirt over with Yuffie's.

Yuffie blinked a few times. "Wow…so that's what you hide under all that leather…." She said running her hands slowly over his muscular chest. Vincent watched her and bit back the soft groan of pleasure threatening to escape his lips.

"I take it you like what you see?" He said watching Yuffie intently.

"…Duh…" Yuffie muttered smirking slightly at Vincent. "I may be a bit of a klutz, and even a bit ditzy…but I'm not an idiot…." She nodded to his chest. "…and only an idiot would not like that."

He leaned forward and claimed her lips in a hungry kiss as her hands continued to roam his chest, slowly moving downward. He covered her hands with his own when they stopped over his pants. "Not yet…" he murmured against her lips, allowing the faintest smile to grace his lips when she growled in frustration. He gently laid her back on the bed and kissed her neck. Yuffie arched her body against his and he could hear her bite back the softest triumphant laugh when he groaned softly. "Hmph…." He pushed her down against the bed with a slight smirk. "…that eager?" He watched her stick out her tongue. Ridiculously immature and yet…

He seized the opportunity to kiss her again making sure to nip slightly at her tongue as he did so. Yuffie moaned against his mouth as he while sliding his hands down her sides. A passionate kiss to send both their senses reeling, and then, his hands finally brushed against her shorts. Those unbelievably short shorts…Vincent couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't noticed how attractive Yuffie was before. She was beautiful, unbelievably devious (and remarkably charming when she was), funny (even he had to admit that), even her arrogance was attractive, and then…there was something about her just stirred something inside him. The something that made him want to protect her down in Mako Reactor 0, the something that made him worry constantly about her when he knew she was following him through the city ruins of Deepground, and the something that made him want to come back from the battle with Omega alive.

He took only seconds to remove her shorts and broke the kiss to look down at her. He nodded to her panties with a smirk. "…You wear these for me?" He slowly brushed his fingers over the light material. The look on Vincent's face and the way he said it… Yuffie looked at him, blinked a few times, and started cracking up.

"Yeah, you like them? You wouldn't believe how many girls I had to fight to make sure I was the one to get them..." She managed to say between fits of laughter. Vincent found himself trying desperately not to laugh. Her laughter made him want to laugh.

"I like them…but I'll like them better once they are off…"

-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-

Vincent could not bring himself to allow his mind to continue. The invitation was nagging at his mind. Yuffie would be married, the woman he had been with that night was no longer his…_And to think at one point…that was how I wanted it…_ He thought bitterly pulling his clothes on.

One way or another…he would have to go to Wutai. He would have to wish her the best…he would have to say goodbye.


	2. Arrival

**Unholy Union**

**By**: Spellspinner Vincent Valentine

**Rating**: M

**Paring**: Vincent Valentine/ Yuffie Kisaragi

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Vincent and Yuffie belong to Squaresoft, now known as SquareEnix, (They should have stuck with Squaresoft…it had a nicer ring…) and to its individual character designers and whatnot. Trust me…if I were rich as hell…I'd buy Vincent and Yuffie. But since I'm poor…I'm just going to take the characters for a serious joyride. Other Final Fantasy VII characters, Advent Children Characters, and Dirge of Cerberus characters will be mentioned in this fic.

**FYI: **I abuse flashbacks…Flashbacks will be indicated such as –Half a year ago- I also hop locations occasionally. When I change locations or use flashbacks I break them off with -:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:- Dreams are going to be a big part of this as they are most of the flashbacks. The **–Half a year ago-** will be in bold in those instances to separate them from normal flashbacks. Hopefully that will not be too confusing.

**Warnings**: 1: This story is a lemon…it will eventually be posted on adultfanfiction until then it remains edited because I have no desire to get in trouble here. 2: Minor Cloud/Tifa 3: No flames on my pairing. I have a great counter flamer and she will not play nice. 4: Minor spoilers nothing too serious and of course some artistic liberties were taken.

**AN**: This story occurs after the events of Dirge of Cerberus. Yuffie's father, Godo Kisaragi, has arranged for her to be married to a young man in the village. Invitations have been sent out and Vincent is stunned. Portions are flashbacks as this story is a sequel to Dark Desire. You MIGHT have to request it from me via email. Some edited flashbacks remain. You do not actually have to read Dark Desire to understand what exactly happened between Vincent and Yuffie.

The mere fact that you are reading this is due to the efforts of Faraway Dawn. She is the reason this fic exists really. She wanted me to write it and she pesters me to work on it. Same thing with Silent Angel too…her art inspired that entire story. So incase no one else thanks her for pestering me, Faraway Dawn, much thanks…I'm glad I'm actually writing these. Also special thanks to Kisho, for giving me a name for Cid's new airship.

This story will likely update slowly. Silent Angel takes precedence for me and I kinda have writers block with this fic.

-:-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-:-

Chapter 2

**Arrival **

It only took half the day for word to reach everyone that Yuffie was engaged. Soon Vincent found his phone ringing every few minutes, usually because someone was shocked or angry and figured he was the best to rant at. Tifa had called in a total outrage that Yuffie would dare get engaged without at least telling her first. Cloud called too, a waste of minutes, according to Vincent, seeing as Cloud was so shocked he could barely string two words together. Cid threw a tantrum about the "brat being too fuckin' young to be gettin' fuckin' married!" and Barret said something along the same lines. Reeve sounded frustrated only because it meant Yuffie's WRO work would be put on hold for a while. Shelke called also. She was not worried at all about the wedding, but she was not thrilled either.

"I'm not going to pretend I'm upset about it all…because to be honest I don't really like Yuffie…she treats me like a child. In reality I'm only a few months younger than her too." Shelke sighed and wiped down glasses for Tifa. "…But she's not going to be very happy…"

"What makes you say that?" Vincent said glancing out one of his windows. _If she was unhappy about it…she would have told someone…anyone by now. _

"Well…you two did sleep together didn't you?" Shelke asked in a completely composed way.

Vincent almost dropped his phone. From what he was aware, no one, absolutely no one knew about what he and Yuffie had done.

The silence made Shelke smirk slightly on her end. She had only been making a guess based on how Vincent and Yuffie had behaved around each other since she had met them both. Vincent however was not denying it and his breathing had changed suddenly, it was the reaction of a man shocked. "…So you did sleep with her…"

"W-wha…" Vincent narrowed his eyes slightly. He could not figure how Shelke had known. "H-How did you…"

"It was just an educated guess…and apparently a very good one."

Vincent could hear the laughter in Shelke's voice. She was amused by the fact that she had figured out what was going on and more particularly why Vincent was so upset by everything. It might have provided mild amusement if it were someone else's life.

"Well anyway…like I said, she's not going to be happy Vincent. Yuffie doesn't strike me as the type to sleep with one person and then run off and marry another. The marriage was probably arranged, and she wouldn't have slept with you if she didn't feel something for you."

Vincent sighed. "It could simply have been lust."

"I doubt it…Oh! Vincent I have to go…Cid is picking everyone up in two days and I have not packed yet. I think Cid plans to pick you up after he collects us. It'll be about a day of travel before we actually all go to Wutai. So I'll see you in a few days."

Vincent waited until Shelke hung up before slowly shutting his phone. _It could have simply been lust…_ Vincent shook his head slightly. What he felt that night had not been mere lust. It had been a raging desire that no amount of his renowned willpower could suppress. The next morning what he felt was not the regret one feels when lust drives their actions. Rather, what he felt was warmth, contentment, and love. _Love…_

The emotion he had almost forgotten about. Love…

Knowing Yuffie was lost to him, fated to belong to another, destined to be another man's light was breaking him, even if he didn't admit it or show it. He still loved her, still wanted her, still needed her, and fate was having a good laugh because he could not have her. _Never again will she be mine…Yuffie…_

For two days Vincent did not seem to move. He sat on his bed merely staring off into space. During the first day he sat out of the sun's light and only glanced outside when it began to rain. That tended to be the only time he left his room. He would exit from a window and climb to the roof of the home he had in Kalm. There he would sit in the rain, just feeling the rain, taking in its scent, hearing its quiet song on the roofs and streets. It was something Yuffie did once. She sat out in the rain for hours and he tried to get her to go inside before she caught a cold.

She threw her head back, and her wet bangs stuck to her face. She was smiling brightly and saying that he needed to just sit in the rain sometime, to just feel it and let it surround him. She said he would feel alive and free.

Eventually he had given in and sat with her. They watched lightning strike in the distance, they listened to thunder crash louder than the waves on the shorelines, and somewhere in all the chaos Mother Nature was displaying, there was a moment in which they just connected. At least that was when he remembered feeling like she was something…special.

That day was only a few weeks after Meteorfall. It was right before he felt something was not right and left. Two years after Meteorfall the connection was still there. They had all changed but she was still Yuffie. It was something he loved about her. She seemed to stand unchanging against the flow of time. Somewhat like himself. No matter what happened she was still Yuffie.

He often wondered if that connection that day in the rain had been what made him notice how she stood against time in a way similar to his own.

Vincent looked up at the dark gray sky. It was the color of her eyes, her beautiful eyes. Yuffie Kisaragi was like the rain… almost. Her eyes the color of the clouds it fell from, her smile the fleeting glimmer held in every drop of rain, and her true strength hidden within an innocent appearance. He used to think the rain was sad. That it was the dour weather that could make one feel as though hope had faded. Yuffie had told him that without the rain there would be nothing to smile about when the sun broke through. _Always so optimistic…_

Was she happy about this wedding to be? Did she even know about it? Even if she didn't she could not get out of it. Wutai's laws were simple and finite. Break one of them and you were banished never to return and the greatest of shame would befall your family. Even if it was not what she wanted, she would be trapped like a small bird in a grand cage. He sighed in frustration. _And this is how it has to be…_

The rain fell for the rest of the night and Vincent finally returned to his room. The events of the day, which had been so much more exhausting than they should have been, caused him to fall asleep swiftly.

There she was again in his dreams, laughing and smiling; waking up beside him with a cheerful grin on her face lit by the orange and red rays of the early morning sun.

-:-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-:-

**-Half a year ago-**

Yuffie looked at him with a cheerful grin. "You look cute in the morning you know." She whispered between yawns.

"Do I?" he answered back softly. Vincent looked down at her as she snuggled closer to his body.

"Yeah…and when you are asleep you look so innocent. Like an angel or something." She smirked and whispered, "Nothing at all like the vampire you dress like."

Even without looking she knew there was a slight smirk on his face. The soft chuckle that followed made her smile. "I suppose I do tend to dress a bit…dark."

"It's ok though," Yuffie said quietly laying her head on his chest. "You pull off that look really well. You're probably the only guy who looks ridiculously hot when he's trying to look creepy."

Another soft chuckle seemed to escape Vincent's lips. Yuffie could be so blunt sometimes. Just one more thing he liked about her. She had a nasty habit of telling a person exactly what was on her mind, and she had no mercy for the person her ideas were being dished out to. Once she yelled at him and told him to 'grow the hell up' stating that he was too attached to the past, just like a child. She left him speechless that day, and Cid did not let him forget about it. He was grateful she had said it though. Life just seemed better since he had taken her advice.

"Hey…Vincent?" she whispered quietly while tracing her finger lightly across his chest.

He looked at her. "Hm?"

"…You…won't regret any of this….will you?" She sounded afraid. As though she was uncertain of what his feelings were.

"No...never." He whispered back, and when Yuffie lifted her head to look at him she smiled.

He had meant it. The look in his eyes said it all. Everything that had happened he would treasure. "Good..."

"You will not…will you?" he asked. He would understand if at some point she regretted giving herself to him. She had been a virgin and now…

"Never. All I ever wanted since we met was to be yours."

He had never heard a woman speak so sincerely. No one had spoken to him so honestly and he had never felt more truth in anyone's words.

"Why me though?"

She smiled cheerfully and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Because I am exactly what you needed…and you are exactly what I needed."

-:-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-:-

The second day was much the same; he packed only a few things since they would be staying in Wutai for a while. During the morning he waited on his bed silently for the rain. When it rained, he sat out on the roof. _What am I going to do when I see her?_ He thought staring at the water dripping from his wet hair. _Am I going to be able to let this happen? Will I just…let her go?_ "I have to…" He told the falling rain. _But I want her still…_ "…but that does not matter…" _I need her still…_ There was nothing he could say against that. "I'm just a fool…" he muttered lifting his hand and tilting it to the side. He watched the water fall slowly onto the roof. He knew he would never be free of her. She was a dark desire that should have remained a mere desire. _Had she stayed just a desire…I would not need her so now. _

Vincent stood slowly remaining perfectly balanced even as the wind whipped his hair and cloak past him. "I was weak…to let you break me so easily…Yuffie Kisaragi."

-:-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-:-

Yuffie Kisaragi narrowed her eyes at her father. It was one thing to arrange a marriage without her consent, but to send invitations to all her friends behind her back, now that was unforgivable. _…What is Vincent going to think?_

"OF ALL THE BONEHEADED THINGS YOU'VE EVER DONE YOU OLD FART!!!!"

"Yuffie…refine your language at once." Godo glared at his daughter. She had too much of her mother's stubbornness. Her mother had been a wonderful woman though. Yuffie had all his worst attributes too. _To think Leviathan would be cruel enough to make her stubborn, ignorant, and arrogant…why could she not have just been arrogant? I could have dealt with her arrogance but honestly this is enough to drive any father insane._ "You are older than the average married woman in Wutai! It is time you married and took control of Wutai."

"I don't want to get married!!"

"I do not care." Godo said sharply setting down a map of Wutai. There were plans written on it, plans to expand the town a bit further to include a new school and training areas. "You are a grown woman and you will behave like one! You know the laws Yuffie. You were to be married at sixteen. You ran away and joined that group Avalanche and have been away too long to be married. Tell me did you honestly think I had forgotten?"

"I kinda hoped so…" Yuffie muttered. She knew her father was far too stubborn to forget such an important thing. She was still thinking about what everyone would say when they realized she was getting married. Tifa would be supportive as always, Cloud would probably get a bit defensive. He was like a big brother to her at times. Then there was Barret and Cid. The two of them would probably be too choked up. The two of them were like a pair of teddy bears once you got past their foul mouths. Reeve probably wouldn't mind as much as long as she would still be able to conduct her business for the WRO. Shelke was probably going to be thrilled. The two of them had never gotten along on account of Vincent and Lucrecia. Nanaki was likely to be proud of her and then of course, there was Vincent.

They hadn't spoken since the day half a year prior and she missed him dearly. What would he think of all this, the man she had willingly given herself to? What would it do to him? All that she had fought for, every smile, every laugh, every meaningful glance, was she destined to lose it now? Would Vincent let it be that way? _Of course he will! He wouldn't fight to keep me…he would rather let me go…no conflict and no bloodshed in that. Vincent, don't you remember what happened the last time…you just stood back and watched?_

How many years of hard work had it taken for her to get him to confess everything to her? Vincent had told Shelke because Shelke experienced some of it through Lucrecia's neurodata. About three hard years of prodding for information, then a half year of annoying phone calls, then that night, in the morning he told her everything, and even convinced her to stay a bit longer than she had planned.

-:-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-:-

-Half a year ago-

The sun had risen and it was mid morning when Yuffie finally got out of bed. "I swear…I'm gonna kill Reeve. Leave it to him to have a stupid mission ready for me the morning after the best damn night of my life."

Vincent watched her slowly gather her clothes from the corner of the room. "How urgent were your orders?"

"Level 2. Nothing serious really he's just nosey." She looked over her shoulder at him. "Why?"

"I received orders from him a few days ago myself. Level 5 priority."

Yuffie blinked and went over to the bed. She threw her clothes down and crawled onto the bed before climbing on top of Vincent. He watched as she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a look of unmistakable fury. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE IF YOU HAVE A LEVEL 5 PRIORITY MISSION!?!!?! VINCENT, THAT'S LIKE NATIONAL SECURITY ON A WAY BIGGER LEVEL!"

"I am aware."

"Why the hell are you so calm about it!?"

"I found something more important that required my immediate attention."

"And just what the hell is more important than Level 5 priority orders?!"

He shrugged and looked at her. "You."

She blushed. Vincent said she was more important than the world basically. Vincent was always irritated by people who did not follow orders. Orders brought calm to the chaos and that was why he liked them. If everyone followed orders things went smoothly. Vincent however, had disregarded top priority orders, to spend a night with her.

"Well…if Vincent Valentine can ignore orders," She said kicking her clothes off the bed and pulling the covers away from his body. "I think Yuffie Kisaragi can afford to do the same…Reeve will just have to wait…."

-:-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-:-

"…And that is why you are marrying Hayate Tachiyura…Yuffie are you listening to me at all!?"

"I'm listening and I'm not marrying that poor excuse for a boy!" Yuffie shuddered involuntarily. "I mean you can't even call him a man! He's such a big baby I punched him once, no power in it mind you, and he cried! He was fourteen when I did that dad!"

"He has grown up a great deal since then. We will speak no more of this. You will be marrying him. Leave Wutai before the wedding and you may not return…ever. Do not marry and I will have little choice but to banish you from Wutai. Do you understand me Yuffie?"

Yuffie crossed her arms and grumbled. "Yeah pops I understand."

When she was finally allowed to leave she went straight for Da Chao. Even though it was raining that was where she always went when she was frustrated. From the top of the statue she could see the sea beyond the forests around Wutai. From there alone could she clearly see the horizon and easily wish for what lay beyond the treacherous waters. There was a huge storm out on the vast expanse of the sea. It would get worse in a few hours but until then Wutai was receiving only a moderate downpour. Typical autumn weather for the area, and yet the storm seemed to be a personification of the conflict raging inside her.

On the other side of the water to the south a bit was Vincent. On the other side of those waters was the one person she could not bear to face now. He knew by now, about her engagement, and what would he think of it? _…Vincent isn't weak…but this would…crush him. After everything I told him, everything we've been through together, after that night…it would be the ultimate betrayal._ The very things she swore she would never do she was on the verge of doing. She had told Shelke she would never hurt Vincent by choosing another over him. Her father had seen to it that she would not have a choice in the matter. _First promise broken already…_ She had also told Vincent that she would never be with another. _I told him before I left that I would wait for him forever if I had to. I swore I would be only his. I swore I not do what Lucrecia did. I would not let myself belong to another. _Tears clouded her vision. _I'm…sorry Vincent…_

She had only a few days to prepare for the arrival of her closest companions. Wutai would be prepared for a celebration, she would have to dress formally, she would have to act the part of a happy engaged woman. _I'm gonna have to lie through my teeth. Right to his face too…_

Yuffie was bothered by the fact that she would have to lie to Vincent. If he asked if this was what she wanted, she would have to say yes. She would have to smile and pretend that everything that had passed between them had never happened. If he asked if she loved him, she would have to lie and say 'of course not…I'm engaged to Hayate. I wouldn't be marrying him if I didn't love him.' or something along those lines. All Vincent would need to do was look into her eyes and he would know she was lying, that was of course, if he would even look at her after something like this. She was spoken for now, and he was a gentleman, he would step back quietly as a gentleman should. _I wish he would quit being such a goddamn gentleman for a change and get pissed! Beat the crap out of Hayate…after I have a go at him of course! Then do something stupidly romantic, like sweep me off my feet and carry me far away from Wutai!_ Yuffie groaned at the mental image. _I'm turning into such a girl._ A few hours into the evening the storm grew worse and Yuffie conceded that she would be safer in her house than atop Da Chao.

Finally home, Yuffie discarded her wet clothes and pulled only a blanket around her. She sat and rummaged through a small box she kept on a shelf. Pictures of her escapades with her friends, the day they found the coffin containing Vincent, they day Vincent and Aerith got sunburn on the Tiny Bronco, the night they stayed at the Gold Saucer (She had dragged Vincent and Cid out to have fun.) and pictures of them in the arcade, pictures in Costa del Sol, all sorts of pictures. The Gold Saucer pictures took the cake as her favorites. Vincent beat Cid effortlessly at any game Cid challenged him to. Yuffie had stood to the side laughing hysterically and taking pictures. Then there were the pictures of the moogle that snuck up on Vincent. Vincent had been only mildly startled by the moogle and looked more irritated by it than anything.

She smiled at the picture. Vincent really did look evil when he was irritated. He was probably only a half second from drawing his gun when Cid said something about seeing Cloud sneaking around with someone. Vincent hadn't been interested but she and Cid certainly were. So all around Gold Saucer they snuck trying to figure out who Cloud was out so late with.

After a while she and Cid gave up the chase. Cid went up to his room and Vincent only remained because he said she should not be wandering around alone. He seemed to be eyeing every man who so much as glanced at her in a lecherous way with a look of utmost loathing. Yuffie figured, at the time, that he was just being a bit protective, now she had to wonder if he wasn't even in the slightest way attracted to her then. Even more so she had to wonder if he would become his reclusive self again after she was married.

_I worked so hard to get him to come out of that dark little world of his…_she thought lying down with one of the few pictures she had of him smiling. _I wonder if he'll shrink back into it…I wonder if he will regret anything that happened between us…_

-:-:-:-:-:--:-:-:-:-:-

The next morning in Kalm brought only chaos to Vincent's usually calm mind. He could not stop dreaming about her and he would be seeing her soon. He gathered his few things and left his home to wait for Cid. Shelke had left a message stating that Cid would be gathering them all in his new airship Serfia. Vincent sighed. Cid never said where he found this ship. He only knew that Cid had a new ship not long after the Shera crashed in Midgar. He knew Cid was also in the process of rebuilding the Shera (hard work since the ship was the product of ancient technology) and would be renaming it the Shera II.

He waited outside of Kalm as he was instructed and looked in the direction of Edge when a faint mechanical sound blew in with the wind. It would be about a day's time before they all were gathered and arrived in Wutai. It was nearly sunset when they reached the coast. Vincent had been staring blankly out the windows for some time, instead of staying in his usual corner. The coast first, then the forest, and just beyond that was Wutai, bathed in the evening sun like a small flower in a large garden. Cid made sure to land in a large clearing near Wutai.

"Right then, everybody off my damn ship!" He yelled over his shoulder after yelling at a few of his crew to get his bed ready, because he damn well as not sleeping at an inn in Wutai when he could sleep on his baby. He glanced at Vincent who either had not heard him, or was too deep in thought to have given a damn either way. "Hey Vince, you alright?" Cid said walking over to Vincent, who was now staring out at the forest path just ahead of the Serfia.

"…I'm fine Cid." He answered softly. Vincent knew Cid was no fool though; he would be able to tell that Vincent was anything but fine.

"Certainly don't sound it." Cid said helping one of the technicians lock the ship's anchors. "Ya know…for someone who was the closest to Yuffie, you certainly don't seem to happy about her getting' married."

"I suppose I just feel she is too young…"

"Right…too young to get married, not at all too young to sleep with someone more than forty years older than her…."

Vincent tensed suddenly. Cid knew. He turned his gaze to Cid. "…How-"

"Shelke spilled to me. She said you'd either be getting dead drunk in Wutai or be off brooding in some dark place. I asked why and she told me."

"Great." Vincent muttered leaning against the large window.

"If it makes ya feel any better," Cid began lighting a cigarette, "I ain't told anyone else. Figured if the two of you wanted everyone to know you'd have told us by now." Cid glanced out at the path. "So why the brat? I mean she's barely half your age."

"If I knew why I would be a wiser man. I can not explain it Cid."

"Ya love her?" Cid muttered. "I mean you damn well better, no man with any decency sleeps with a woman he doesn't love."

_I do love her…_Vincent nodded. "I never thought myself so weak before Cid. Giving into a desire like that…I have ruined her and now she is to be married."

"You sound jealous."

Vincent sighed. "Maybe I am."

"Well, let's get goin' Vince. Yuffie probably misses ya."

_She doesn't...she and I have not spoken in half a year. If she missed me we would have been in touch by now. If she missed me she would not be engaged to this…Hayate._

Cid and Vincent followed the others into Wutai where Godo was waiting to greet them. Slightly behind him and to his left was Yuffie. Her hair was swept back and pinned elegantly in place, she was wearing a slight amount of makeup, and her usual attire was discarded. Vincent noted that she was wearing the traditional attire of an unmarried, but promised, woman it was elegant and modest with pale pastel shades of peach, pink, and purple. She looked stunning.

She was smiling too; her father began speaking with Barret and Cid who appeared to be the oldest of the group. The others were talking with Yuffie and all Vincent could do was stare. He heard Tifa say how beautiful Yuffie looked. Yuffie just laughed and said she did not look that great. Then Cloud asked if she was excited about getting married. Yuffie smiled and said she was. Nanaki asked if she loved Hayate or if it was an arranged marriage. Yuffie's answer was crushing. "Of course I love him. I wouldn't be marrying him if I didn't." Then Reeve and Shelke began asking Yuffie other questions. If she was looking forward to maybe having a family, and if she would continue working for the WRO when she had the time. "Of course!" was her cheerful answer each time.

Vincent didn't breathe again until Cloud called him over.

"Don't you have anything to say to her Vincent?" Cloud said quietly.

Vincent slowly looked at Yuffie. She looked so happy and he felt so crushed by it. He mentally reprimanded himself. This would be good for Yuffie; he had no right to hold her back from happiness.

Only Yuffie heard the agony in his voice when he managed to say softly, "…Congratulations…"


End file.
